"Utterly, butterly, delicious”

by Monica Bhide

It all started with an innocent question. I was at an Indian grocery store with my preschooler. Walking down the dairy aisle looking for Indian cheese. “Who’s that Mama, she’s so cute,” quipped my little one. I turned to look and he was holding in his hand, a package of butter. On it was the picture of a cute little girl, round eyed and bashful, wearing an adorable orange polka dot dress and a cute ribbon. America has “Got Milk”, India has the her – a little girl who became a part of a 30 year long ad campaign. A campaign headed to the Guinness Book of world records, as the longest running campaign in the world. A girl who forever revolutionized the Indian dairy industry. With the punch line of “Utterly butterly, delicious”, this little girl, this moppet, this icon, stands for all that is a “Taste of India”. A girl who symbolizes India’s white revolution, all about milk and its products.
Lets start with some facts. This little girl, is the Amul moppet. Amul, a Sanskrit word, translates to “priceless”. Amul is a huge brand name, started in 1955, created by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF). The GCMMF is India’s largest food products marketing organizations. It is a state level body of milk cooperatives in the Indian state of Gujarat. Before you stop reading and say, well why do I care – listen to this… In 1946 it was decided that a small group of milk producers/farmers from a tiny village should handle the sale of milk to the government (instead of huge milk traders or contractors who ate away at all the profits). The government, British at that time, resisted, and the farmers went on a strike. After 15 days, the government relented and that was the beginning of what is now called the white revolution. What started with a small group of less than a few hundred farmers producing about 70 gallons of milk a day.. is today: The GCMMF -- 2.28 million members (cooperative society’s) , producing over 1.7 million gallons of milk a day, 25,000 tons of butter a year with a total sales turnover of $575 million dollars last year.

But I digress, I want to talk about the Amul moppet, the little girl who created a home in the hearts and minds of millions and millions of Indians. No easy task. And to be there for almost 34 years! When Amul started in 1946 and for some years after, the image they presented was, well, boring. In 1966, a man named Sylvester daCunha, from the ad agency of ASP, took over the Amul account. And in 1967 it began, innocently enough. A brand - Amul – A Taste of India.
Scott Bradbury, the marketing genius behind Nike and Starbucks, once said “ A great brand is a story that is never completely told. A brand is a metaphorical story that’s evolving all the time. Stories create the emotional context people need to locate themselves in the larger experience” He could easily have been talking about the Amul moppet. Every Friday, since 1967, this little girl appears at billboards, strategically placed all over India, focusing on the item of the week – tongue in cheek, of course. There are no boundaries and nothing is off limits. From the political scene, to entertainment, from local news to international, from sports to stars, she has a line for everything. Often said to be playing the role of a “social observer with evocative humor”, the billboards became, and still are, a topic of conversation amongst millions. With their “hing-lish” (a combination of Hindi and English) punch-lines, they have won the maximum number of awards in India for any ad campaign ever! This little thumbalina, seems to have the masses, right where she wants them – wanting more of her and of Amul. No other brand comes close to what Amul has been able to accomplish. I know of people who have collected the ads over the years and created a “funny” album for the grandkids… to teach them awareness through amusement!
A product known for its quality, attractive packaging, reasonable pricing and a supply chain that is the envy of the industry. A group of farmers banding together to produce milk. They have also kept up with the times, online cyber store, free delivery of their products to anywhere in India, cyber cards with funny “Amul” messages. They host their own TV show, have released books and movies based on the milk producing cooperatives. There is not a media they don’t touch. There is a lesson in this for all of us. And Of course, the ever present Amul moppet.

What to be inspired even more? Read the speeches by V Kurien, the genius behind Amul – “The Unfinished Dream” Or even just his address to the General body last month

 Amul Butter and many of their other products are now available at your local Indian grocer.

 

A graduate of several cooking courses in India, she is also a voracious cookbook reader and counts several hundred cookbooks in her collection.

Frustrated by the lack of straightforward Indian cookbooks, Monica became inspired several years ago to develop simplified and healthful versions of her favorite Indian dishes. The result is THE SPICE IS RIGHT, a collection of mouthwatering Indian recipes where Monica, in her down-to-earth and lively writing style, guides Indian food lovers on a non-intimidating and flavorful foray into home-style Indian cooking.

.Glowingly praised by Graham Kerr (The Galloping Gourmet) as "a classic contemporary," THE SPICE IS RIGHT proves that simple Indian cooking is within every home cook's reach. "This snappy book features traditional foods, but with an eye toward the tastes, lifestyles and health-consciousness of Bhide’s generation" says The Washington Post

Born in India, thirty-two-year-old Monica has been living in the United States since 1991. She has an engineering degree from Bangalore University and two masters in information systems technology from George Washington University. She recently moved from Boston.to reside in Washibgton DC Metro area

"Bhide’s recipes — authentic, simple, delicious, and easy on both the waistline and wallet — couldn’t be easier to prepare." (The Boston Herald)